MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE-In an effort to increase power availability in the country, government has partnered and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Skypower Global Group of Companies to develop large-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar panels.
The project is in line with the System Development Plan which targets to generate additional 865MW of grid solar energy and secure Zimbabwe’s long-term energy supply needs.
In a post-Cabinet Press briefing last Tuesday, Information and Broadcasting Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said the country has vast renewable energy resources that have largely remained unexploited hence considering to install solar farms at Henderson, Figtree and Manhize farms.
“The project intends to generate 500MW from solar farms to be installed at three sites, namely: Henderson (Archie Henderson Research Station Farm), Figtree (Vreigevight Farm) and Manhize (Onzerust Farm). These sites were finally selected from a total of 9 identified sites based on the grid or sub-station ability to accommodate plus or minus 100 megawatts, proximity to a grid or sub-station, land availability, topographic considerations such as slope, no settlements within the establishment, no shading from mountains; and Local leadership and community buy-in,” she said.
She added that proximity of the solar projects to the grid will avoids high cost of infrastructure construction and reduces transmission losses as well as ensure low cost tariffs to the consumers and improved performance of solar farms.
According to Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) 5 Megawatts are connected to the national grid through net metering.
